


Crow's Call

by Keyrim



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Stealth Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 10:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8324224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keyrim/pseuds/Keyrim
Summary: "I didn't want this path for you, for anyone. But I know you'll make it your own. Live, Jaune. Live, die. Be happy in both. Now go." - In which there's truth to more then one fairy tale, and where our favorite blond can shoot a gun. (crossover-ish elements, but still RWBY.)





	

**So this is a thing I made. Don’t know why I did this though.**

 

/-\

 

If someone were to look to the corner of the bullhead, they’d see a young man with a hood leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his stomach.

 

He was dressed in an untucked white collared shirt with a silver breastplate over his chest and a skull emblem necklace around his neck. On top of both was an open overcoat with the tail reaching down to just past his knees. It was colored black but that seemed to have a sheen of dark blue whenever hit with sunlight, completed with a simple hood made a different fabric over his head. Lightweight steel sets of pauldrons guarded his shoulders while armguards protected his wrists and shin guards defended his legs and boots, all connected to him by leather straps. None of them were very new, as they were worn down slightly and covered with scratches. He wore gloves, cutting off just before the second knuckle, his fingers the only pale skin exposed besides the lower portion of his face.

 

Combined with the near unnoticeable wisps of smoke, slowly and ominously curling off his form, they might feel slightly intimidated. If anyone were to pay any attention to the only visible portion of his face, they could possibly make out that he was in deep thought; nose scrunched up and quiet mumbles escaping his mouth.

 

What could he of been thinking about? They might’ve ask themselves.

 

Could it be about what’s going to happen when they land at Beacon?

 

Could it be he was silently scoping out everyone else aboard with calculating eyes, making out his competition?

 

Maybe he was thinking about whatever home or people he left behind to be here in this Bullhead.

 

Or, some could’ve thought, he could just be planning a murder.

 

But what was  _ really _ the purpose of the imposing figure’s concentration?

 

Simple: he was trying not to lose his breakfast.

 

/-\

 

_ Just a little longer Jaune, _ he reassured to himself, desperately hugging his arms tighter to his chest in a vain attempt to pinch his esophagus’s connection to his stomach.  _ We can’t be trapped in this flying metal box for too much longer, right? _

 

Dear Gods, his flight from Mistral to Vale was terrible enough. At least with that flight he was expecting it, know full well not to eat anything the night before, shooting down any and every one of friends’ plans for a ‘going away party.’

 

That precaution did the trick.

 

Didn’t stop him from dry heaving in the bathroom though.

 

“Great job Jaune on surviving that overnight flight without vomiting up your guts,” he muttered to himself lowly in a mocking tone. “Why not reward yourself with a  _ full breakfast _ ?”

 

Suddenly the Bullhead lurched, some of the other passengers yelping in surprise to the sudden shake.

 

_ Hrrk _

 

The Bullhead’s intercom buzzed to life. “We apologize for the sudden turbulence,” it announced an automatic tone before shutting off.

 

Did anyone want to tell him ahead of time that there’d be but a  _ second  _ bullhead flight connecting to Beacon?  _ Noooo _ of course not. That’d be too much to ask.

 

Jaune blamed the monkey. 

 

And water boy too for good measure.

 

The bullhead jerked again.

 

_ Uuu _ gh.

 

The battle between his willpower and his stomach was becoming decisive. It was only a matter of time befor-

 

The intercom buzzed to life again. 

 

“Welcome to Beacon,” the voice said simply before the bay door began to open. Golden light spilled through the open space like a shining, well, like a shining beacon.  The mere sight of an escape from the flying deathtrap was cause enough for a single tear roll down from his sapphire eye.

 

The Vacuan didn’t need to be told twice.

 

/-\

 

Jaune briskly made his way out of the bullhead, overcoat flaring behind him and the threat of vomitation hot on his heels. He decided he could admire the looks of the Academy another time.

 

He was tempted with the idea of using his semblance to boost his speed and find a place to settle his stomach faster, but quickly rejected the idea. Much to his ego’s displeasure, he’d rather vomit on the floor of the bullhead then reveal the nature of his semblance on the very first day. It makes sense in the long run.

 

Then again, if he  _ did _ end up throwing up and the image sticks with him long enough for  _ Sun _ to catch wind of it he would… well…

 

He’d have to die.

 

Thankfully he didn’t have to face the ultimatum as he saw a couple of trees spread out around the courtyard proceeding the docks. Jaune quickly picked one and dove behind it.

 

Placing one hand on the tree to steady himself and the other on his stomach, Jaune took a deep breath and exhaled.

 

After some more steadying breaths, the rumbles in his stomach ceased. “ _ Uuuugh _ ,” he groaned. “I’m okay… I’ll be alright.”

 

His stomach calmed, Jaune relaxed. Then perked up, the realization of where he was finally hitting him.

 

He blink once. “I’m at Beacon.” 

 

He blinked twice. “I am at  _ Beacon _ .” 

 

He tasted the words and their texture as they passed through his mouth.

 

“I, Jaune, orphan nobody from Vacuo am here, at Beacon Academy.”

 

They tasted  _ sweet. _

 

A low chuckle escaped his lips, followed shortly by another, and another and another before he was engulfed in hysterical laughter.

 

Hugging his shaking shoulders he put his back against the tree and slowly slid down to sit at the base, overcoat pooling beneath him.

 

Eventually, he came down from the emotional high. He didn’t know how long he just sat there under the shade of the tree laughing. Jaune knew it couldn’t of been for long though.

 

Wiping his misty eyes with knuckles and removing his hood, Jaune suddenly heard the sound of flapping wings. He traced the source of the sound above him and tilted his head up to meet a very familiar bird roosting on a low hanging branch off to his side.

 

The bird was an adolescent crow. His plumage was black with an iridescent green sheen whenever it was touched by sunlight. Unlike what would be considered normal for most birds, the crow didn’t flinch or fidget in it’s roost. Instead the crow rested completely still, looking down at Jaune with intelligent eyes.

 

Jaune grinned at the bird. “Why hello to you too, Dust.”

 

The ever stoic crow cawed at Jaune in response, causing him to snort.

 

Shifting where he sat to sit in an indian style and replacing his hood, Jaune wondered idly if his companion was still mad at him for confining the bird to a carry-on for the initial trip to Vale. As soon as they’d landed, Jaune had open Dust’s cage, letting the agitated bird fly off to do whatever he does when he’s not around him.

 

_ Probably to go and stare at old people ‘till they go insane with paranoia,  _ he thinks offhandedly. Honestly, if Dust looks at you long enough it feels like he’s praying on your soul.

 

“And just where have you been when while I was trapped in a flying metal box?” he asks the bird, willfully ignoring the irony in his question.

 

To answer, Dust strokes his wings once to sit on one of his knees.

 

Dust stares at Jaune and Jaune stares back, an eyebrow raised.

 

After a moment Dust opens his mouth, regurgitates a partially digested piece of meat before swallowing it back down again.

 

“Oh  _ jeez _ Dust! That was disgusting!” Jaune berated while the bird, recoiling back in disgust.

 

Dust let out a series of rapid caws, as if laughing, making Jaune scowl.

 

“I literally  _ just _ avoided throwing up from the bullhead man! Seriously! The last thing I need to see is what you ate for brea-”

 

_ BOOM _

 

The ground shook from an explosion, both interrupting Jaune’s scolding and startling Dust enough to take wing.

 

Jaune hopped to his feet, Dust settling on his shoulder. “What was that?” he asked the crow while looking around.

 

He realized the explosion came from the courtyard behind the tree. Cautiously poking his head out (and by proxy Dust’s) to see the source of the commotion, he saw two girls. One of them, who was dressed in a  _ blinding _ amount of white with a saber strapped to her waist berating a younger girl, dressed in a black and red dress as well as a red cloak. From Jaune’s position behind the tree, he could also see something poking out behind who he’ll just call Little Red’s cloak. He couldn’t make out what it was though.

 

“-believeable!” he began to hear as he tuned in to the conversati- well, it wasn’t so much a conversation as it was a telling off.

 

“This was exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!” The girl in white rattled off, stomping her feet in anger.  _ Damn _ did this girl have a shrill voice.

 

Little Red fidgeted under what Jaune could only assume was a frigid glare. The younger girl squirmed awkwardly, as if even her body language didn’t quite know how to respond. 

 

“I’m really  _ really _ sorry-” Little Red tried, but Whitey wasn’t done.

 

“You complete  _ dolt! _ What are you even doing here? Aren’t you a bit young to be attending Beacon?” Whitey snaps.

 

A part of Jaune did think that, though he quickly dispelled it. If Little Red was here, then she  _ deserved _ to be here. It wasn’t Jaune’s right, nor was it any other students’, to argue that.

 

“W-well I…”

 

“This isn’t your ordinary combat school you know! It’s not just sparring and practice you know. We’re here to fight monsters so- So watch where you're going!” 

 

_ O _ -kay this was going a bit too far. Juane narrowed his eyes at Whitey, protective instincts kicking in as his simmering anger unconsciously activating his semblance, curls of smoke beginning to peel off his body. Dust, sensing his master’s agitation, unfurled his wings and flew to the top branches of the tree.

 

Then Little Red suprised him. “Hey! I said I was sorry  _ princess, _ ” the younger of the two shot back with none too little bite behind the last word.

 

Huh. So the girl  _ did  _ have a backbone. Satisfied that Little Red could handle Whitey on her own, Jaune calmed down and decided not to intervene. He realized with a start that he never let go of the tree, his aura enhanced finger digging holes into the trunk.

 

Jaune was, in fact, surprised again when yet another girl appeared with a book in one hand, a vial of red dust in the other.

 

“Its heiress actually,” the black haired, amber-eyed girl said calmly, gather everyone’s attention.

 

Jaune observed the girl: She wore a black and white color scheme with purple leggings, a bow on her head as well as a sword strapped to her back. Jaune’s eyes kept creeping back to the bow on her head, it was…  _ off _ for some reason he couldn’t explain.

 

“Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company; one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world,” Bow Girl listed off, her face the same expression as stone.

 

Whitey- _ Weiss Schnee _ , he corrected himself, smiled curtly at Bow Girl, obviously pleased.

 

“Finally,” Weiss said, pivoting with her hands on her hips to look pointedly at Little Red, “some recognitio-”

 

“The same company,” Bow girl, much to Jaune’s satisfaction, interrupted, “who’s infamous for its controversial labor force and questionable business partners.”

 

Oh it was always satisfying to see a mean girl get her comeuppance, Jaune smirked while the youngest girl tried to smother her snickers.

 

Then Weiss snatched the vial from Bow Girl’s hands, and stormed off, heels clacking with her servants in tow.

 

Jaune leaned against his tree his arms crossed. Dust once again took his place on his shoulder as he watched the heiress walk off with mixed feelings.

 

The thing is, he’s had experience with mean girls like her back home. Well, maybe not quite like her anyways. It's not like Arslan or Reese had a corporation at their backs ready to sue you and your pants and a moments notice. While he was never the target himself, his best friend was. Why? Because he was what he was, a Faunas. If anything, that's what really cemented the bonds between him and Sun. It’s not like their frigid looks lasted that long anyways, as certain circumstances after another had actually ended making all of them end up as friends in the end.

 

So that’s sorta where Jaunes confusion on how to feel about Weiss come in. 

 

_ It’s really up to her, _ he decided with a sigh.  _ So long as someone’s willing, anyone can become friends. _

 

He watched her walk off for a while longer until the Schnee disappeared into the campus before shrugging himself off the tree. He turned back to the courtyard to see that Bow girl was gone and Little Red was… on the ground?

 

“Welcome to Beacon,” she said miserably, stinging Jaune’s heart to the very core.

 

Jaune let out an audible sigh.

 

“Well Dust,” he said, the bird in question tilting his head to look at him, “ I think we’ve been doing nothing long enough. Think it's time we introduce ourselves?”

 

Dust cawed and took flight.

 

/-\

 

Ruby’s day was off to a bad start.

 

First off her traitorous sibling-who-shall-not-be-named up and abandoned her. Then she ruins her chances of make her first friends with Wiess and that cool girl in the bow. Now the heiress (cause who knew?) hater, the girl in the bow completely ignored her and her sister was nowhere to be found.

 

She hasn’t even been at Beacon a whole hour yet!

 

“Welcome to Beacon…” she sighed miserably, closing her eyes and hoped that the ground would just swallow her whole for her social awkwardness.

 

Then a weight settled on her chest.

 

Confused, she opened her eyes to see a black birdy sitting on her chest. The bird look at her curiously, unblinking and unafraid of being so close her.

 

“Bwah?” she said intelligently, tilting her head slightly. The bird, in turn, parroted the action and tilted its head as well.

 

Ruby frown. She tilted her head to the other side, the bird doing the same. What was up with this bird?  Deciding to experiment, she shook her head rapidly from side to side, seeing if the bird would do the same.

 

It didn’t.

 

He simply stared at her with an almost dry expression.

 

“Aww,” Ruby said, cheeks puffed in annoyance.

 

Suddenly she heard someone chuckle off to side, making her eep in surprise.

 

She turned her head fully this time to see a tall figure in black towering over her, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.

 

Ruby paled.

 

Now Ruby Rose like to think she had a well developed danger sense, being trained - intentionally or not - by Yang and Uncle Qrow and her dad. 

 

The forest ever go eerily quiet, tell tale signs of a beowolf stalking in the shadows? Cresent Rose is out and ready for action. 

 

When she senses her Uncle Qrow and dad’s grown-up talk starts drifting dangerously close to becoming a battle of machismo? Headphones on, volume max. 

 

That one time she accidently pushed Yang into the pool on the family vacation, ruining her hair? She was outta there as fast as her semblance-enhanced legs could carry her when she saw red eyes glaring at her from beneath the water.

 

Right now?

 

Ha _ aaa, _ she woulda `noped` the heck outta there if the bird on her chest didn’t suddenly feel a hundred times heavier.

 

Did the ground always feel this cold?

 

Time slowed as the figure slowly raised his hand to her, palm open in invitation. Ruby could see his mouth opening to speak, maybe to curse her in that all cookies would taste like ash in her mouth.

 

“Hey,” the fiend spoke, “You look like you could use a hand.”

 

Wait that didn't sound right.

 

Suddenly the spell broke. Where she saw a villainous figure now stands a teenager, around the same age of Yang, offering her a hand up and smiling gently.

 

_ Wow _ she felt silly now.

 

And kinda bad too, for jumping the gun on her assumption.

 

She took his hand and was brought up to standing while the birdy hopped on the guy’s shoulder.

 

“T-thanks,” Ruby offered, smiling awkwardly and dusting her dress. “My name’s, uh, Ruby by the way. Um, Ruby Rose.”

 

“No problem, no problem at all. I’m Jaune. I think you're already familiar with Dust.” 

 

“Caw.”

 

Removing his hood, Ruby got her first look at tousled blond hair, a shade really close to Yang’s. Then she saw his eyes; blue as the ocean and deep as an abyss.

 

“Wow...”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Oh uh, nothing!” 

 

_ Come on Rose, speak! Converse! Like a normal girl, with normal knees would! Just say something! _

 

“So aren’t you that weird guy talking to himself in the back of the bullhead?”

 

Jaune deflated with his head hung low, a storm cloud over his head.

 

_ Aaaaaaaaaah _

 

Jaune sighed and looked at her dryly as the crow. “You’re really good at this whole first impressions thing, ya know that?”

 

His feature morphed to surprised when before he knew it Ruby grabbed his arm. 

 

“I’m really bad at this I’m sorry!” She pleaded, eyes watery.

 

“Whoa whoa! No need for the waterworks! It’s all good, promise.”

 

“...Promise?”

 

“Definitely. You shouldn’t worry though, we all have these kinda days. Say, since we’re both pretty new around here, ya wanna look around?”

 

Ruby immediately smiled. He didn’t mind her awkwardness?  _ And _ he wanted to hang out with her too? Today might not be as bad as she thought it’d be.

 

“Sure! Let’s go!" she chirped, inwardly clapping herself on the back for actually getting acquainted with someone. As a plus, Dust seemed pretty cool too! Third’s time really was the charm wasn’t it?

 

/-\

  
  


“So how did you get a pet crow?” Ruby asked in an attempt to fill the silence. 

 

The two had been wandering around the campus, idly commenting on Beacon’s scenery. It really was beautiful; with its elegant white archways, green fauna and clean blue ponds. 

 

It was easy to see that Jaune was a really nice person. He even laughed at her dumb jokes too! That didn’t stop Ruby from feeling slightly guilty for thinking the guy was so scary at first, though. 

 

It just perplexed her how this seeming easy-going and friendly guy would dress so darkly and intimidating, with the black overcoat that hugged his form and skull necklace dangling around his neck. His ashen like skin didn’t help either nor did Dust, who was currently settled on his shoulder, who naturally added to the image.

 

It was kinda weird how well he managed to pull it off too. The way Jaune moved in his clothes was natural, and he didn’t seem constricted by his coat or the armor on top of it. It give the impression that everything he wore was worn was practical, not just cool or scary for the sake of it being cool or scary. Ruby respected that.

 

Jaune hummed at her question. The crow seemed to sense he was the subject of conversation, tilting its head to Ruby and scowled at being regarded as a ‘pet’.

 

“Well, Dust really isn’t a pet. Yeah he belongs to me, but it’s not really like that. He’s more like my… partner. Yeah, my partner.” 

 

Dust, seemingly pleased with the answer, changed his posture to stand a little straighter.

 

Ruby looked at the bird with a small sense of wonder, admiring how his feathers danced between black and green whenever he was touched by sunlight.

 

“Um, can I… hold him?” 

 

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the question. “I mean, sure I guess. But that's really up to him. Just raise your hand to him and see if he does anything.”

 

Ruby did so. Dust regarded the offered hand immediately, leaning towards it curiously and looking between it and Ruby. Then the bird jumped onto her arm, taloned feet tickling Ruby with every shuffle. Then he stopped on her upper arm, his beak right in her face making Ruby have to look at him cross-eyed. He was staring at her expectantly.

 

“What’s he doing?” Ruby whispered to Jaune, not wanting to startle Dust.

 

The black clad boy shrugged in response, equally lost to the crow’s behavior.

 

After another moment of staring expectantly, Dust let out a breath, as if sighing in exasperation. He hoped a little closer to Ruby, place his beak on the side of her temple. Gently, he turned her head so she was looking to the other side and gave himself room to sit completely on her shoulder.

 

Before she knew it, Dust had settled beside her head just like he did on Jaune, stoic and satisfied with his new perch.

 

“Ho-holy crap,” the bird’s partner breathed in awe. “He’s actually sitting on your shoulder. He  _ never _ sits on other people's shoulders.”

 

“D-did I do something wrong?”

 

“What? No! It’s just…” Jaune trailed off scratching the back of his head. “It’s just Dust is really picky about people. He doesn’t so much like other people as he does tolerate them. The fact that he’s actually going as far as to sitting on your shoulder is just-... I can’t even find the right words. There’s only, like,  _ one _ other person he was ever comfortable around to do it with.”

 

So… that meant Dust liked her? Sweet! 

 

Ruby immediately brighten and grinned at the bird, paying no mind when Dust seemingly rolled his eyes.

 

Then some of what he said registered. She frown and looked at Jaune confused.

 

“Was?”

 

Ruby immediately regretted asking the question when Jaune flinched. 

 

Her and her dumb mouth. Why can’t she ever talk to Jaune without saying something mean or thoughtless?!

 

The apology was on the tip of her tongue, ready to steer the conversation  _ anywhere else _ but Jaune beat her to it.

 

“Uh, yah. My mentor - he’s the one who gave him to me - was the only one Dust would work with besides me. He, um, pass aw- died just after I turned 15.”

 

Unconsciously his hand reached up to grab his necklace, his thumb rubbing the skull emblem.

 

_ Weapons! _ Her mind provided franticly,  _ Weapons are always a safe topic! No way that subject could trigger any bad memory or grief! Razzle dazzle’em! _

 

“Hey look!” she said, succeeding in both breaking him out of his funk and getting his attention. “I have this thing! Its cool, _ riiiight?! _ please don’t be sad…”

 

She quickly wiped out Crescent Rose and fluidly switched it to her scythe form, not really caring in the process she startle Dust of her shoulder nor that the stone path cracked when she stood her up beside her. She has a situation to save, who cared about a little property damage?

 

Her plan had the intended effect, Jaune now looked at the massive scythe with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open slightly. 

 

Ruby dared to renew her smile. Maybe now she can steer things into a better direction?

 

The crimsonette was about to dive into her baby’s specifics…

 

...but Mount Jaune erupted first.

 

One moment he was a couple feet away from her, the next he was right next to Crescent Rose, starry-eyed.

 

She vaguely noted that there was a small trail of smoke starting from where he was originally standing.

 

“She’s  _ beautiful _ .”

 

He  _ whirled _ to face her.

 

“What is her name?”   
  


…Maybe her plan worked a bit  _ too _ well...

 

“Err, Crescent Rose?”

 

“ _ Crescent Rose _ … That a perfect name.”

 

His head immediately snapped back to the scythe, eyes glazed in wonderment.

 

“I saw what she looked like in her collapsed form, but I never would’ve imagined she’d turn into,” he gestured to the scythe, “...this. A high powered sniper rifle and scythe hybrid... _ Why didn’t I think of that?” _

 

Ruby blinked. “You knew she was a sniper rifle? Just at a glance?”

 

He nodded mutely, still captivated by the red beauty.

 

“Hold on. you know weapons?”

 

“ _ Know weapons? _ Our weapons are expressions of ourselves! To know someone’s weapon is one of the best compliments you can give a person! And I gotta say Rubes,” He looked at her with awe, “Your weapon is  _ figgin _ incredible.”

 

“…”

 

/-\

 

Jaune watched Ruby mutely collapsed Crescent Rose and holstered it to her hip, her face devoid of any distinguishable expression. Then she hobbled over to Jaune, burying her face in his shirt, looping her arms and squeezed with surprising strength before half whispering, “We’re going to be the best of friends.”

 

“Uhh…”

 

The grip tightened further. “The  _ best. _ ”

 

Well… he honestly didn’t think his compliment would spark this reaction, not that this was a unpleasant.

 

Shrugging to himself internally, he slung one arm around the shorter girl in a half hug, a chuckle escaping his mouth. “Definitely, friends.”

 

She let go a moment after, blushing slightly but otherwise was happy. “Hehe, uh anyways…” 

 

She gasped. “Yours, yours! Show me yours!” Ruby said giddily.

 

Jaune smirked. “Huh. Well since you showed me yours, I suppose it’s only fair I return the favor.”

 

Reaching both hands into the confines of his coat, he pulled out two large black shotguns as longer then his forearms, making Ruby squeal in delight.

 

They were identical in looks; both black like steel and elegant looking in their simple design. An inscription ‘RPNT’ can be found on both as well.

 

“Ruby Rose,  _ Crescent  _ Rose. I’d like you to meet the two halves of  _ Nigrum Vindictam _ .”

 

“ _ Oooo _ h, dual shotguns...” she breathed.

 

“Mm-hm,” Jaune huffed proudly, settling one of their long barrels to rest on his shoulder. “ They’re high powered, automatic shotguns. You wouldn’t so much think they shoot bullets as you would hellfire.”

 

Jaune took pride in his weapons. Of course he would, he designed them himself with some guidance from the old man when he was still kicking.

 

“Of course, being the world we live in, they can’t  _ just _ be shotguns though.” 

 

With a practiced motion, he twirled the twin cannons in his hand. With the sound of shifting steel, the grip of the guns expanded into poles while from the barrels jutted out two curved blades twice their length. WIth the transfiguration complete, the shotguns had essentially becom-

 

“ _ Scythes? _ You use dual  _ scythes?! _ That turn into  _ shotguns _ ?”

 

“Ye- _ p _ ,” he said, popping the  _ p  _ and twirling the two behind him for good measure, making the blades to make an ‘ _ X’  _ shape behind him.

 

Ruby stared for a moment before saying just above a whisper, “...team  _ reaper.” _

 

“Huh?”

 

“I said. We. Are. Going to be.  _ Team. Reaper. _ We are going to be partners. We’re gunna go show everyone why scythes are the  _ best _ .” 

 

Jaune thought about it. Being in a team with Ruby would be great actually. Like, they both used scythes, they both were weapon nerds and as far as he could tell they bot-

 

Wait.

 

Something occurred to Jaune, especially considering how long they’ve been talking.

 

“Hey Ruby?”

 

Ruby paused. “Yeah?”

 

“Don’t first years have, I don’t know like, some sorta orientation we gotta go to...?”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

“...Oh, butt.”

 

Jaune stuffed his weapons back into his coat, the two sprinted towards what they hoped was the main building, rose petals and smoke trailing behind them.

 

/-\

 

“Headmaster, we will be needing you in the Hall shorty.”

 

Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, waved at the Deputy, never shifting his eyes away from the screen in front of him. “I’ll be down soon Miss Goodwitch, The orientation doesn’t begin for another ten minutes. I’ll be present well before then.” 

  
Glynda Goodwitch nodded and without another word left the clockwork office.

 

_ ‘Ruby Rose,’ _ the title of the dossier on screen read, Ozpin taking a sip of his coffee.

 

An extraordinary girl with so much potential for greatness. Raised by Taiyang Xiao-Long, trained by Qrow Branwen and sister to Yang Xiao-Long the odds were in her favor to excel.

 

And then her silver eyes…

 

Ozpin switched over to the next dossier while bring his mug closer to his mouth, then paused, reading the name at the top.

 

_ Jaune ‘Doe’ _ it read.

 

A talented young man from Vacuo, grew up in an orphanage as one of the many displaced children following the tragic Grimm attacks near the kingdom, moved to Mistral to attend preliminary battle school and achieving admirable merits.

 

A picture of boy stared back at him, smiling, young, full of life.

 

The ghost of a smile appear for less than a second, if only slightly amused by the irony.

 

So the successor indeed accepted his invitation to study here.

 

Now Ozpin not only had Miss Rose and the next Fall Maiden in his deck, but him as well.

 

It’s calculated gamble on his part to place any trust in the boy to assume his role this early. Then again, it was a gamble to assume that for any of them, wasn’t it?

 

“ _ Gabriel Reyes, _ ” the ashen-haired huntsman said standing up from his desk. His voice was laced with distaste, but also sorrow. “Many years ago you once told me you would end the ‘curse’ with yourself. Now what could you have seen in this young man to pass it on to him, I wonder?”

 

He passed his bookshelf on his way out, where inlane many books of fantasy and fairy tales

 

The Man with two souls, The Four Maidens…

 

… and the legend of the Pale Rider.

 

/-\

 

**I’m borrowing elements from about two different sources. One, I’ve made painfully obvious, the other not so much.**

 

**If you guys like it, I’ll make more (hint hint). Forewarning, though, I’m not the fastest writer. Mostly since i work a damn near full time job** **_and_ ** **take five classes in college, so I’m usually short on time to write. That and it's a mental mindset of mine that i can’t write anything worth reading without at least three hours of free time to ensure quality.**

 

**But anyways, what did you guys think? I hope i didn’t write Jaune to OOC.**

 

**Volume 4 hype!**

  
**Keyrim, out.**


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